Man jailed after random attack left victim Selina Regazzoli unable to walk

Olivia Kelleher

A man has been jailed for five years for a random and unprovoked attack on a well-known businesswoman who was unable to walk for six months following the shocking incident.

Conor Greaney (25) had previously pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to boutique owner and social media influencer Selina Regazzoli.

He attacked the 35-year-old on March 7th, 2024, outside the GPO on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork.

Garda Orla Moriarty told a sentencing hearing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that Ms Regazzoli was an innocent victim of Greaney.

Garda Moriarty said that Greaney, formerly of Farranferris Avenue, Farranferris in Cork, had punched the woman in the face. He then pushed and tripped her. He had called her by a name that was not hers.

In his Garda interviews, Greaney said that he had mistaken the victim for another woman who had been “trolling” him about personal aspects of his life.

Judge Dermot Sheehan was shown CCTV footage of the incident, which occurred in “broad daylight” at 9.40 am.

Ms Regazzoli was making her way to a business meeting on a trip to Cork when the attack occurred. Greaney fled the scene following the assault.

A victim impact statement from Ms Regazzoli was read into evidence. Ms Regazzoli said that it was an “ordinary day” right up to the moment she was attacked.

‘Without warning, the defendant ran at me from the side as I walked down the street, only a couple of feet from my work and violently punched me in the side of the head, knocking me to the ground, and dislocating my ankle in the process.

"I remember the sheer shock and confusion. I did not understand what was happening or why it was happening to me.

"As he shouted at me, I lay on the ground and looked at my foot that was now turned in the wrong direction, and I knew I couldn't run away. I was stuck there, I was in unbearable pain, petrified, shaking and completely defenceless. My ankle was broken and dislocated, and I was trapped from that moment.

"What has stayed with me most was the panic and the fear as I lay there, helpless, my bag and belongings thrown all over the street.”

Ms Regazzoli recalled screaming and shouting “for what felt like an eternity” trying to make people understand that it was an unprovoked attack.

“I remember shouting, ‘I'm not from here, I don't even know this person,’ because I felt that people were unsure to approach, and I needed them to know that I was an innocent person who needed help.

"That feeling of having to prove my innocence, while lying injured & trapped on the ground, is something that will never leave me.

"Some amazing people thankfully came to help me, but I will never forget the fear in their faces, and the fear in mine as my body began to breakdown in complete shock. I felt vulnerable, helpless, and utterly terrified.

"One of the most painful moments was when a woman had to FaceTime my sister to tell her what had happened.

"As she answered and saw a stranger's face, she thought I was dead. It was harrowing lying on the ground, having to reassure my sister that I was injured but thankfully not dead.”

She said that her dislocated foot turned blue. Her right foot was reset at the scene by paramedics.

Ms Regazzoli recalled being taken by ambulance to a Cork hospital, where she felt in a constant state of panic.

“I was in a constant state of panic, fearing that someone would come in and attack me again, whilst dealing with my ankle that felt like it was going to explode from the pressure and pain inside. All I wanted was to leave and get somewhere safe with my family."

Ms Regazzoli spoke of living in a state of “ongoing trauma” since the incident. She also detailed her injuries, which she described as “severe.”

"Unable to walk for over six months, over a year of physio learning to walk again and permanent scars on both sides of my ankle, I lost my independence overnight. I could not walk. I could not care for myself. I had to rely on others for basic daily needs."

Ms Regazzoli said that although she was an “innocent person”, she felt she had to justify her innocence after hurtful commentary in relation to the incident appeared on social media.

Defence barrister, Elaine Audley, said that her client had suffered a drink and drugs relapse following the death of a family member to whom he was very close.

She noted that in his garda interviews, Greaney had stated that he felt “stick to the stomach” when he realised that the victim was unknown to him.

He also told gardaí that it “wasn’t his form” to be hitting women.

Ms Audley said that Greaney had entered custody the day after the incident and has not applied for bail since.

A letter of apology was read into evidence. Greaney apologised for his “cowardly and unacceptable” behaviour.

Judge Sheehan noted the profound impact of the incident on the victim as well as the seriousness of the injuries she suffered. He described her victim impact statement as “eloquent and powerful.”

In mitigation, he said that Greaney presented to gardaí following the attack. He also “pointed himself out on CCTV” during his garda interviews and entered a guilty plea.

Judge Sheehan jailed him for five and a half years, suspending the last six months of the sentence.

He backdated the sentence to March 9th 2024, when Greaney first entered custody in relation to the incident.